Im currently a freshmen in UCR planning to go to med school. But before that, I want to become a RD (registered dietician) first if that is possible. Since my school doesnt provide the major i need, I plan on transferring to Berkeley. For my sophmore year, I want to leave UCR and take classes at De Anza Community College. Over there, they offer some intro to nutritional science classes I needed. Then after a year, I will attempt to transfer to Berkeley and obtain my B.S. degree there. I was wondering if i should continue my study and become a RD before applying to med school, or go to med school first before becoming an RD. If possible at all, I wish to graduate in 3 years with degree in dietetic and attend post bac for 1 year to be RD then apply to med school. Any insights?
Rd --> Md
- Thread starter triplerox
- Start date
I'd skip the community college and spend as much time as possible at a university. I'd make med school your primary objective and your dietition interests secondary. If you can find a major university that offers degrees in diet, then double major in diet and biology, or major in one and minor in the other.
I want both, RD and MD. I guess what i am really doing is taking a nontraditional path but still attempt to get it accomplish within 4 years. The reason why i want both is because knowledge in human nutrition is somethign im interested it. It is something that i have a passion for, since bodybuilding is a hobby of mine.
The reason i cant stay in this UC is because it does not offer a major in dietetic. Thats why I plan on goign to CC before transferring to another UC that offers the degree i want.
I would transfer to the UC now. My opinion is that it doesn't look good for adcoms when a person has changed schools multiple times. You don't want anything in your profile that looks inconsistent or unreliable.
It'll be tough to do the RD thing after residency with loans hanging over your head, maybe a family to take care of and who knows what else. Plus it'd be kinda silly going back to community college taking intro to nutrition with a DEA number and a more advanced education than the instructor. So if you want both I guess stick to your schedule, although these seem to be two pretty distinct career fields and I agree that you would do well to pick one or the other.
I also considered completing an RD before my MD, but it was going to take too long. Get the RD first since it will only take the same amount of time as any other undergrad degree (what a good deal!). After med school, going back to get an RD will seem ridiculous to you. The coursework for an RD is less demanding and you'll be wanting to do more with your medical degree. Going back for an RD just won't seem worth it. Completing it beforehand, however, will give you clinical experience with patients, will give you a headstart in med school, and will give you knowledge for nutrition counseling that physicians don't have. Most medical schools simply do not cover nutrition from the chronic disease aspect if at all. Good luck!
sounds complicated to me. too complicated if your goal in the end is to become a dr.
Think about what kind of medical practice you want to have. What knowledge of human nutrition do you require? Will licensure as a dietitian make a difference?
I'm thinking you could get the knowledge you require on your own, and with an MD the RD will be an unnecessary piece of paper.
You would also be able to serve more patients if you delegated the dietitian aspects of your practice to someone who does that all day long.
I'm thinking you could get the knowledge you require on your own, and with an MD the RD will be an unnecessary piece of paper.
You would also be able to serve more patients if you delegated the dietitian aspects of your practice to someone who does that all day long.
To me, your goal sounds like you want to understand and study nutrition---not become a dietitian. A simple solution would be to major in nutrition and not worry about getting the RD. The only reason you should pursue the licensure track is if you want to work as a dietitian. For your purposes, getting a bachelor's degree in nutrition and then applying to medical school would fulfill both of your goals.
ok, so i guess its not wise to get RD then MD. But i still want to learn about nutrition and my school doesnt offer. what do id o =[
if u live in the south bay area u can always go to deanza over the summer and take classes there for that period of time. if not, there have to be other JCs/CCs in socal that offer some nutrition classes
oh yea and nutrition education is usually an integral part of med school education as well so you will get that there to an extent
oh yea and nutrition education is usually an integral part of med school education as well so you will get that there to an extent